Optical transceivers are used to transmit and receive optical signals for various applications including, without limitation, internet data center, cable TV broadband, and fiber to the home (FTTH) applications. Optical transceivers provide higher speeds and bandwidth over longer distances, for example, as compared to transmission over copper cables. The desire to provide higher speeds in smaller optical transceiver modules for a lower cost has presented challenges, for example, with respect to thermal management, insertion loss, and manufacturing yield.
Optical transceiver modules generally include one or more laser packages for housing a laser or laser diode and for providing electrical connections and optical couplings to the laser. One challenge with an optical transceiver module assembly is the process of bonding the optical fiber to the laser package with a relatively high degree of precision to reduce signal losses that may result from misalignment or other coupling problems. Assembly difficulties may increase as the number of laser packages that are incorporated into an optical transceiver increase, since each laser package will generally require a separate fiber optic bonding connection.